Operating Characteristics
Engine parameters:
An engine with B = S is often called a square engine. If stroke length is longer than bore
diameter the engine is under square and if stroke length is less than bore diameter the engine is
over square.
For an engine with bore B, crank offset a, stroke length S, turning at an engine speed of N:
S = 2a
Average piston speed is: Up = 2SN
Here, = + − ( ) Where, a = crankshaft offset, = crank angle
r = connecting rod length
Displacement or Displacement volume or Swept volume (Vd):
It is the volume displaced by the piston as it travels from BDC to TDC.
Vd = VBDC – VTDC
Displacement can be given for one cylinder or for the entire engine.
π
For one cylinder: V = ( )B S
π
For an engine with Nc cylinder: V = N ( )B S
Longer stroke or shorter?
For a given displacement volume, a longer stroke allows for a smaller bore resulting in less
surface area in the combustion chamber and less heat loss. This increases thermal efficiency
within the combustion chamber. If the stroke is shortened, the bore must be increased and the
engine will be over square. This decreases friction losses but increases heat transfer losses.
Air-fuel ratio:
In internal combustion engines the burning of fuel is basically the reaction of fuel with oxygen in
the air. The amount of oxygen present in the cylinder is the limiting factor for the amount of fuel
that can be burnt. If there’s too much fuel present, not all fuel will be burnt and un-burnt fuel will
be pushed out through the exhaust valve.
Stoichiometric air-fuel ratio:
When building an engine, it’s very important to know the air-fuel ratio at which exactly all the
available oxygen is used to burn the fuel completely or at least to the best possible value. This
ratio is called the Stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. Theoretically, this ratio will exist only for a
stoichiometric mixture, which is an ideal mixture. Theoretically, for gasoline, the ideal mixture
contains 15 parts of air and 1 part of fuel. Thus, it provides the air-fuel ratio of 15:1. It is
necessary to get this perfect air-fuel ratio of 15:1 all the time. This is because the air in the
mixture provides the oxygen needed to burn the fuel completely. If the air is too little, then it
provides inadequate oxygen for combustion. This results in un-burnt fuel emitting and going
waste. If there is an excess of air, then it provides more oxygen. This results in loss of power.
AFR numbers lower than stoichiometric are considered "rich". AFR numbers higher than
stoichiometric are considered "lean."
Why AFR is high in diesel engine?
Diesel engines operate on the principle of compression ignition - the air is compressed to such an
extent that it is capable of igniting vaporized fuel. Petrol engines use spark ignition, the air-fuel
mixture is ignited via an electrical ark between the centre electrode and ground electrode of a
spark plug. The reason that a diesel engine has such a high air to fuel ratio in comparison to a
regular petrol engine is because to achieve the temperature required for the fuel mixture to self-
detonate, a much higher pressure must be created and therefore more air needs to be present to be
compressed.
Calculating stoichiometric air-fuel ratio:
The air to fuel ratio is the property of fuel and chemical composition of the fuel that defines the
value for this ratio. Most of the fuels we use in internal combustion engines are hydrocarbons,
and their burning will obviously result in the release of hydrogen and carbon as residuals, along
with heat and pressure. The oxidation reaction of methane (natural gas) as a fuel:
+ 2( )= + 2( )
If we look up the atomic weights, we get the following numbers: Carbon (C) = 12.01, Oxygen
(O) = 16, Hydrogen (H) = 1.008
So 1 molecule of methane has a molecular weight of: 1 * 12.01 + 4 * 1.008 = 16.042
One oxygen molecule weighs: 2 * 16 = 32
The oxygen-fuel mass ratio is then: 2 * 32 / 1 * 16.042 = 64 / 16.042
One oxygen molecule weighs: 2 * 16 = 32
The oxygen-fuel mass ratio is then: 2 * 32 / 1 * 16.042 = 64 / 16.042
So we need 3.99 kg of oxygen for every 1 kg of fuel
Since 23.2 mass-percent of air is actually oxygen, we need: 3.99 * 100/23.2 = 17.2 kg air
for every 1 kg of methane.
So, the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio of methane is 17.2.
